The Long Journey to BVD Eradication.

This paper provides a short review of bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) control programmes across Europe, with a particular focus on current efforts from a stakeholder perspective. Using outputs gained from a global, virtual congress on BVD control, the theory of the journey from BVD control to possible eradication is enriched with insight from stakeholders representing the major parts of the cattle industry. Current control programmes were presented by Javier Dieguez (Galicia), Neil Shand (England), Neil Paton (Wales), Jenny Purcell (Scotland), Maria Guelbenzu (Ireland), Jörn Gethmann (Germany), and Matthias Schweizer (Switzerland).

Control of Bovine Viral Diarrhea.

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is one of the most important infectious diseases of cattle with respect to animal health and economic impact. Its stealthy nature, prolonged transient infections, and the presence of persistently infected (PI) animals as efficient reservoirs were responsible for its ubiquitous presence in cattle populations worldwide. Whereas it was initially thought that the infection was impossible to control, effective systematic control strategies have emerged over the last 25 years.

Epidemiology, diagnosis and control of classical swine fever: Recent developments and future challenges.

Classical swine fever (CSF) represents a major health and trade problem for the pig industry. In endemic countries or those with a wild boar reservoir, CSF remains a priority for Veterinary Services. Surveillance as well as stamping out and/or vaccination are the principle tools of prevention and control, depending on the context.

The control of classical swine fever in wild boar.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a viral disease with severe economic consequences for domestic pigs. Natural hosts for the CSF virus (CSFV) are members of the family Suidae, i.e.

Pestivirus control programs: how far have we come and where are we going?

Classical swine fever (CSF) is endemic in large parts of the world and it is a major threat to the pig industry in general. Vaccination and stamping out have been the most successful tools for the control and elimination of the disease. The systematic use of modified live vaccines (MLV), which are very efficacious and safe, has often preceded the elimination of CSF from regions or countries.

Classical swine fever in Europe--the current situation.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is considered to be one of the most important viral diseases in pigs worldwide. In many parts of the world great efforts are being undertaken to reduce economic losses caused by CSF or to eradicate the disease. Among the member states of the European Union (EU) a harmonized strategy for diagnosis, control and eradication of CSF is applied.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation does not play a major role in the pathogenesis of classical swine fever.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a multi-systemic disease that can be accompanied by severe haemorrhagic lesions. The underlying pathogenetic mechanisms are still far from being understood, though disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was discussed as a major factor. In the presented study, the direct thrombin inhibitor hirudin was used in an attempt to elucidate the role of the coagulation system in the pathogenesis of CSF-induced haemorrhagic lesions.

New insights into the antigenic structure of the glycoprotein E(rns) of classical swine fever virus by epitope mapping.

The E(rns) glycoprotein of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) has been studied in detail concerning biochemical and functional properties, whereas less is known about its antigenic structure. In order to define epitopes recognized by CSFV-specific antibodies, the binding sites of seven E(rns)-specific monoclonal antibodies were investigated. Mapping experiments using chimeric E(rns) proteins, site-directed mutagenesis and an overlapping peptide library identified one antigenic region located between amino acids (aa) 55 to 110 on the E(rns) protein of CSFV Alfort/187.

A generic real-time TaqMan assay for specific detection of lapinized Chinese vaccines against classical swine fever.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious disease, causing severe economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. Vaccination of pigs with lapinized Chinese vaccines is still practised in some regions of the world, where the virus is enzootic, in order to prevent and control the disease. However, a single real-time assay that can detect all lapinized Chinese vaccines used widely, namely, Lapinized Philippines Coronel (LPC), Hog Cholera Lapinized virus (HCLV) and the Riems C-strain is still lacking.

[Pathogenesis of classical swine fever--similarities to viral haemorrhagic fevers: a review].

In spite of differences in etiology, viral haemorrhagic diseases share similarities in their pathogenesis. Characteristic for these diseases are thrombocytopenia, petechia and increased vascular leakage. Most lesions can be attributed to cytokine-mediated interactions triggered by infected and activated monocytes and macrophages, rather than by virus-induced direct cell damage.

Classical swine fever virus in South-Eastern Europe--retrospective analysis of the disease situation and molecular epidemiology.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is among the most important diseases of domestic pigs and causes great socio-economic losses. Therefore, control of CSF is given high priority within the European Union, including financial support of concerted control actions in candidate and in potential candidate countries. Unfortunately, from some of these countries information on the CSF situation and related data is very limited.

[Transmission risk for foot-and-mouth-disease in an animal-densed region in Germany--results from an expert survey].

Due to its strong impact on economics and trading the Foot-and-Mouth-Disease (FMD) is one of the most important animal diseases within animal husbandry. Because no recent specific field observation for FMD exists in Germany, the risk assessment needs validated epidemiological models to prepare decision tools for FMD-outbreak management. The aim of this investigation was therefore to prepare a risk assessment for different transmission pathways to use for FMD-models in future.

Cytopathogenicity of classical Swine Fever virus correlates with attenuation in the natural host.

For the important livestock pathogens classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), cytopathogenic (cp) and non-cp viruses are distinguished according to the induction of apoptosis in infected tissue culture cells. However, it is currently unknown whether cp CSFV differs from non-cp CSFV with regard to virulence in the acutely infected host. In this study, we generated helper virus-independent CSFV Alfort-Jiv, which encompasses sequences encoding domain Jiv-90 of cellular J-domain protein interacting with viral protein (Jiv).

Retrospective analysis of the oral immunisation of wild boar populations against classical swine fever virus (CSFV) in region Eifel of Rhineland-Palatinate.

In the present study the effect of control measures implemented during the classical swine fever (CSF) epidemic in wild boar in the Eifel region of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate from 1999 to 2005 was assessed. During the first 3 years after official confirmation of virus detection these measures comprised intensive hunting, especially of young animals and hygiene measures. Subsequently oral immunisation (o.

Diagnostic methods for detection of Classical swine fever virus--status quo and new developments.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious disease causing major losses in pig populations almost worldwide. The disease occurs in many regions of Asia, Central and South America and parts of Europe and Africa. Some countries have eradicated the disease (Australia, USA, Canada, within the EU), yet it keeps recurring sporadically (South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, England).

A sequence database allowing automated genotyping of Classical swine fever virus isolates.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs. According to the OIE classification of diseases it is classified as a notifiable (previously List A) disease, thus having the potential for causing severe socio-economic problems and affecting severely the international trade of pigs and pig products. Effective control measures are compulsory, and to expose weaknesses a reliable tracing of the spread of the virus is necessary.

Expression of the surface glycoprotein E2 of Bovine viral diarrhea virus by recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus.

This study analysed the transport behaviour of the glycoprotein E2 of Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) expressed from recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV). E2 protein was found to be retained at an intracellular compartment. A chimeric protein containing the membrane anchor and cytoplasmic tail of the VSV G protein, E2-G(MT), was transported to the cell surface.

BVD control in Europe: current status and perspectives.

For several decades after the first description of bovine viral diarrhea and its causative agent (BVDV) the economic impact of the infection was underestimated and in addition there were no suitable diagnostics and procedures for a systematic control at hand. Today, there are several estimates on the real economic impact of the infection and during the last 15 years the serological and virological laboratory diagnosis of BVDV infections has improved. Also, successful procedures aimed at eradicating BVDV infections by using a strict test and removal policy for animals persistently infected (PI) with BVDV accompanied by movement restrictions for infected herds have been implemented in the Scandinavian countries.

Vaccination against classical swine fever virus: limitations and new strategies.

The most widely used vaccines for the control of classical swine fever (CSF) in countries where it is endemic are live attenuated virus strains, which are highly efficacious, inducing virtually complete protection against challenge with pathogenic virus. In the European Union (EU), the combination of prophylactic mass vaccination and culling of infected pigs in endemic regions has made it possible to almost eradicate the disease. However, it is not possible to discriminate between infected and vaccinated animals, thus hampering disease control measures that rely on serology.

The surface glycoprotein E2 of bovine viral diarrhoea virus contains an intracellular localization signal.

The intracellular transport of the surface glycoprotein E2 of bovine viral diarrhoea virus was analysed by expressing the cloned gene in the absence of other viral proteins. Immunofluorescence analysis and surface biotinylation indicated that E2 is located in an early compartment of the secretory pathway and not transported to the cell surface. In agreement with this result, E2 was found to contain only high-mannose oligosaccharide side-chains but no N-glycans of the complex type.

CD46 is a cellular receptor for bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Various monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that recognize cell surface proteins on bovine cells were previously shown to efficiently block infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) (C. Schelp, I. Greiser-Wilke, G.

[Perspectives on BVD eradication in Germany].

Infections with the bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) virus are endemic with high seroprevalence in many countries of the European Union (EU). The significant economic damage caused by BVD infections has led to a paradigm shift with respect to a possible control. In some EU Member States control programmes have been initiated mostly on a voluntary basis and some compulsory.